The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of a residential electrical distribution system is depicted. A house 100 includes an electrical panel 102, which communicates with a utility company 104. The electrical panel 102 distributes electric current from the utility company 104 to an electrical distribution line 106. The house 100 includes appliances such as a stove 110, a video cassette recorder (VCR) 112, a clock (such as a wall clock or alarm clock) 114, and a microwave 116, which consume power delivered by the electrical distribution line 106.
The stove 110, VCR 112, clock 114, and microwave 116 include display clocks 120, 122, 124, and 126, respectively, which graphically display the time of day. The display clocks 120, 122, 124, and 126 must each be programmed when the associated appliance is installed, when power is lost in the house 100, and when daylight saving time begins and ends.